Folding cot and stretcher.



A. THORP.

FOLDiNG COT AND STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I0. 1915.

1 ,,%3 1 ,fiQQ Pafenfed June 26, 1917.

unrrnn srarns PATENT @FFKQE AUGUST THORP, OF SAUM, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 DLOF L. LHIJDQUIST,

' OF KELLIHER, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING COT AND STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented June as, tar/o Application filed June 10, 1915. Serial No. 33,366.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that 1, AUGUST THonP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saum, in the county of Beltrami, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding :Cots and Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hospital appliances and has for an object the provision of a combined stretcher and cot which may be readily converted into a cot or stretcher as desired or folded into small compass for convenience in transportation, it being further constructed so that adjustments permitting accommodation to various postures of a patient may be readily effected.

With the above and other objects of similar nature in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device employed as a cot.

Fig. 2 is an end View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view with the parts adjusted to permit accommodation to a substantially sitting posture of a patient.

Fig. 4c is a top plan view of the device employed as a stretcher, parts thereof being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the device folded for transportation, and Y Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the inner frame sections.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the device comprises an outer substantially rectangular frame 10, the side members 11 of which are hingedly connected together as at 12 intermediate their ends so that two corresponding sections are provided which are foldable one upon the other.

These side members 11 are extended beyond theends 13 whereby to provide suitable handles 14 by which the device may be conveniently transported when in use.

Pivotally mounted between the handles 14 adjacent the end members 13 are crossed rigidly connected legs 15, said legs being swung downwardly and secured as at 16 notches 22,

when the device is employed as a cot and being folded to lie between the handles during its employment as a stretcher.

Supported within the outer frame is a second or inner frame 17, same including an intermediate section 1.8 rigidly secured to the side members 11 and end sections 19, 19 which are hingedly secured as at 20, 20 to the intermediate section and adapted for movement relatively thereto, there being stretched across said inner frame a flexible webbing 17 constituting the supporting portion of the device. To support the section 19 in various angular positions above the frame 10, there are secured to and extending longitudinally of the side members thereof T irons '21 having formed in their webs arms'23 being pivoted as at 24: to the side members 11 and interchangeably engageable in said notches. The section 19' is adjusted in a similar manner to extend below the framelO, flexible straps 25 having a series of openings 26 therein being secured adjacent the free end of said section and engageable with pins 27 carried by the side members 11.

It is obvious from this construction that the sections 19, 19 may be readily adjusted relatively of the frame 10, to permit their accommodation from a reclining to a sitting posture of a patient.

. When the device is not in use, same may be conveniently collapsed in small compass for storage or transportation by first folding the legs 15 between the handles, next folding the hinged sections of the outer frame one upon the other and then folding the section 19 of the inner frame oppositely from the outer frame section and upon the intermediate and other end section 19.

The device as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, is in this manner disposed in compact form, there being provided a handle 28 secured to the intermediate section of the frame 17, whereby it may, if desired, be easily carried from place to place.

at is claimed, is A folding stretcher and cot comprising a substantially rectangular frame including hingedly connected sections foldable one upon the other, the side members of said frame being extended beyond the ends thereof and forming handles, legs pivoted between the handles and foldable to lie in the plane thereof, a second frame arranged Withhandle carried by the intermediate section in the first frame and including an intermeby which the device may be transported. l9 diate section fired to one section of the first In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature,

frame, and end sections hinged to the interin the presence of two witnesses.

mediate section for adjustment vertically AUGUST THORP. within the first frame, one of the end sec- -Witnesses: tions being foldable upon the other end sec- WM. L. PARRY,

tion, and the intermediate section, and a F; V. Tom). 

